And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.

2 CHRONICLES 16:12KJV
Know the Bible

2 Chronicles 16:12 (KJV)

What does 2 Chronicles 16:12 mean?

2 Chronicles 16:12 describes how King Asa, after ruling for thirty-nine years, developed a severe disease in his feet. Even as his illness grew worse, Asa did not seek help from the LORD but turned only to physicians for treatment.

The verse is part of a historical account about Asa, king of Judah. It highlights a turning point near the end of Asa’s reign, showing his choice to rely on human help instead of seeking God’s guidance or healing. The Chronicler, who is telling the story, uses this detail to show a shift in Asa’s trust and priorities during his final years.

The Hebrew behind 2 Chronicles 16:12

  • "Sought" (דָּרַשׁ, darash): This word often means to inquire or seek out, especially in a spiritual sense. The verse uses it to contrast Asa’s actions—he did not "seek" the LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH), but instead "sought" the physicians (רָפֵא, raphe). The repetition emphasizes where Asa placed his trust.
  • "Physicians" (רָפֵא, raphe): In the ancient context, physicians were not always seen as separate from religious or spiritual practice. The verse draws a line between seeking God and seeking human help, making Asa’s choice more pointed.

Why 2 Chronicles 16:12 matters

  • The verse clarifies that Asa’s problem was not seeking medical help itself, but neglecting to seek God at all, even in desperate circumstances.
  • It connects to the wider passage, which describes Asa’s earlier faithfulness and later decline, showing how his relationship with God changed over time.
  • The detail about Asa’s disease and response highlights a theme in Chronicles: the importance of seeking God first, especially in times of trouble.

Where else these words appear

“disease” Hebrew H2483 · used in 22 verses

  • Deuteronomy 7:15 And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.
  • 2 Kings 13:14 Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.
  • Isaiah 1:5 Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.

“Asa” Hebrew H609 · used in 52 verses

  • 1 Kings 15:8 And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead.
  • 1 Kings 16:10 And Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him, in the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead.
  • 2 Chronicles 15:8 And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the LORD, that was before the porch of the LORD.

“ninth” Hebrew H8672 · used in 57 verses

  • Genesis 5:5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.
  • Numbers 34:13 And Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, This is the land which ye shall inherit by lot, which the LORD commanded to give unto the nine tribes, and to the half tribe:
  • 2 Kings 25:3 And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.

“physicians” Hebrew H7495 · used in 62 verses

  • Genesis 20:17 So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.
  • 2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
  • Jeremiah 6:14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.